Federal transportation grant program will boost rural projects; may get the axe from Trump - Entrepreneur Generations

The TIGER program improved safety for U.S. 491 in New Mexico. The road was once called the "Devil's Highway" because of its former name (U.S. 666) and the frequent fatalities caused by safety hazards. (Indian Country Today photo by Alysa Landry)

The popular federal TIGER program may be endangered, but it's open for now. "State and local governments will have a chance in the coming weeks to vie for a portion of $500 million in federal transportation funding through a popular grant program that President Trump has called for eliminating," Bill Lucia reports for Route Fifty. Congress allocated the funding for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program in May; that money will be available through Sept. 30, 2020, but the Transportation Department's office said in an email to Lucia that it plans to award all of the available funds in this round of funding.

The office said "special consideration" will be given to certain rural projects that "'emphasize improved access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation' for rural communities—and particularly projects in these places that might address public health and safety and boost economic growth and competitiveness," Lucia reports. Grants generally must be between $5 million and $25 million, but rural projects can have a minimum price tag of $1 million. The deadline for submitting an application is Oct. 16.

This year may be the last for the TIGER program; President Trump proposed defunding the program in the budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year that he submitted to Congress. His justification was that TIGER gives federal funding for projects that only benefit local populations and not state or regional populations. "Congressional appropriators in the House and Senate have taken different positions on whether to fund TIGER grants in fiscal year 2018. A House appropriations bill that covers transportation does not include money for the grants. But a Senate bill provides $550 million," Lucia reports. "A similar dynamic has played out in prior years where the House proposes slashing the program, the Senate backs funding, and ultimately money gets allocated for the grants."

The TIGER program was created by the Obama administration during the Great Recession as a way to boost the economy. During eight previous rounds of funding, the DOT has awarded $5.1 billion in grants. "TIGER dollars have previously gone to projects such as a streetcar line in Atlanta, and safety improvements in New Mexico on U.S. 491, a rural highway in the Four Corners region," Lucia reports.

from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2j7kn18 Federal transportation grant program will boost rural projects; may get the axe from Trump - Entrepreneur Generations

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